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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Star boxer Nikhat Zareen kickstarted the defence of her title and India's challenge on an impressive note at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships with a dominating victory while Sakshi Chaudhary, Nupur Sheoran and Preeti also made winning starts on the opening day of the competition on Thursday.

Nikhat, the 26-year-old exuberant boxer from Telangana who clinched the 52kg gold in the last edition in Istanbul, took just over four minutes to outclass Anakhanim Ismayilova with the Referee Stops Contest (RSC) verdict in the 50kg opening round contest at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex here.

The pugilist from Azerbaijan looked clueless against Nikhat's lopsided bout. The Indian will take on top-seeded Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria in the second round.

NIkhat's dominating triumph, in the first bout of the day, provided a befitting start to the prestigious event, which is being hosted by the Boxing Federation of India for the record third time in the country.

Extending the hosts' domination on the opening day, 2021 Asian Championships bronze medallists Sakshi and Nupur also registered emphatic wins with an identical 5-0 margin in their respective matches.

Sakshi dominated Colombian Maria Jose Martinez with supreme technical ability in the 52kg Round-of-32. Nupur (+81kg), on the other hand, proved too strong for Abiola Jackman of Guyana in the Round-of-16 bout. Sakshi will now face Kazakhstan's Urakbayeva Zhazira in the next round whereas debutant Nupur will be up against tough Lazzat Kungeibayeva of Kazakhstan, the 2016 World Champion, in the quarterfinals.

Later, Preeti's RSC win over Hungary's Hanna Lakotar in the 54kg opening round ensured an unbeaten record for hosts on Day 1 of the tournament. She will be up against the last edition's silver medallist Lacramioara Perijoc of Romania in the second round.

Meanwhile, French boxer Lkhadiri Wassila caused a major upset of the day in the 50kg category when she sent the 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Chang Yuan of China packing with a 5-2 win in a thrilling bout after the review.

The ongoing event is witnessing the participation of 324 boxers, including several Olympic medallists, from 65 countries fighting for titles in the 12 weight categories.

Rio Olympics champion Estelle Mossely (60kg) of France is scheduled to begin her campaign on the second day of the tournament on Friday along with some other top boxers, including the five-time World Championships medallist Elif Guneri (75kg) of Turkey, reigning Asian Champion Oh Yeon-Ji (60kg) of South Korea, and former world champions Italy's Alessia Mesiano (60kg) and Lina Wang (81kg) of China.

Among Indians, Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg) and Shruti Yadav (70kg) will fight in the Round-of-32. The tournament has a massive prize pool of INR 20 crore.

--IANS

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Johannesburg, March 16 (IANS) South Africa's all-rounder Dane van Niekerk has announced her retirement from all forms of international cricket, ending a career that spanned more than 14 years.

Dane represented South Africa in 107 ODIs, 86 T20Is and a single Test match against India in 2014, with her last international appearance coming in 2021 before a broken ankle left her sidelined.

Her decision to retire from international cricket comes after her controversial non-selection in South Africa's squad for the Women's T20 World Cup in February. Dane failed to pass the fitness test by 18 seconds and was eventually left out of the squad.

In her absence, Sune Luus led the team to a runners-up finish, after losing to eventual six-time champions Australia in the final at Cape Town. Dane had hinted through an Instagram story on Saturday that she could be quitting international cricket.

"It is with great sadness that I announce my retirement from international cricket. It has been my greatest honour to lead and represent my country. I am incredibly blessed to have led the team through its transformative years. There is no doubt that the women's game is in an exciting space and looking forward to seeing this beautiful game that I love to grow."

"I look back on my career fondly and have made incredible memories and want to thank Cricket South Africa and all other stakeholders for your support. Often the journey can be lonely, painful, and emotional, but would not change it for anything. I'm grateful for what this game has given me," said Dane in her official statement.

Beginning her international career in March 2009, Dane scored 2175 runs in ODI cricket, with nine half-centuries and a career-best score of 102 against Sri Lanka, while amassing 1877 runs in T20Is, notching up 10 fifties.

With the ball, the leg-spinner bagged 138 wickets in ODIs, 65 scalps in T20Is and 1 in Tests, including recording-breaking figures of four for zero during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2017 against the West Indies in Leicester, England.

Dane is one of only six female cricketers to claim more than 1000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches in the One-Day format, while also having the fourth-best bowling strike rate (5.0) recorded in the history of Women's ODI cricket.

"To all the players that I had the privilege to have shared the dressing room and competed with, I will hold on to the memories dearly. We are merely custodians of this sport; I hand it over knowing I have given it my everything and that women's cricket is in a better place than when I arrived."

"That must be the responsibility of the new group, to always make sure you are improving and making a difference. It is time for me to support the new leadership and wish them all the very best," she added.

Dane signs off as South Africa's most successful captain in ODIs, leading the team to victory in 29 of the 50 ODIs from 2016 to 2021. Under her in T20Is, South Africa won 15 of the 30 matches from 2014 to 2021.

"To my amazing family. Thank you for your incredible love and support. From the age of four, you have seen my potential and done everything and anything to help me exceed it. I will forever be grateful."

"My wife, Marizanne, you stood by my side since day one. Thank you for putting up with me and all that came with it, but yet, here you are. You are at the pinnacle of your career and it is my time to support you, the way you have supported me. I love you," she stated.

Dane was a part of South Africa's ODI World Cup squads in 2009, 2013 and 2017 and also featured in the T20 World Cups from 2009 to 2020. She is currently with the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad in the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League in India.

"I would like to take this opportunity to graciously thank Dané for all her years of service and contribution to not only the ground-breaking success of the Momentum Proteas over the last decade but to the overall growth and popularity of women's cricket in South Africa and around the world."

"Her world-class cricketing ability and exceptional leadership skills are irrefutable and will surely be missed by her teammates, coaches and all South African fans who have followed her journey over the last 14 years. We wish Dané all the very best ahead of the next chapter in her career," said Enoch Nkwe, CSA Director of Cricket.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Hardik Pandya, the stand-in skipper for India's first ODI against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, said Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill will be the opening pair for the hosts here on Friday.

With Rohit Sharma unavailable for the ODI series opener due to personal reasons, a vacancy at the top will be filled by Kishan, with the left-handed batter set to join forces with the right-handed Gill.

While Gill hit a double hundred and a century in India's last ODI assignment against New Zealand earlier in the year, Kishan had an underwhelming run ever since he hit a rollicking 210 against Bangladesh last year.

"Ishan and Shubman will be opening. The wicket looks how it is throughout the year. I have played here for almost seven years and it is one of the finest grounds I have enjoyed playing. It's going to be challenging since this wicket will give equal opportunities to both sides. That will be more exciting," said Hardik in the pre-match press conference.

As India re-start their preparations for 2023 ODI World Cup, to be held in October-November here, the team's past failures in the knockouts and attempts to change the equation have come again to the fore.

Hardik believes India will try to put up a braver show in the lead-up to World Cup. "I don't think we have tried anything new. We will be trying to be a little brave which I think in the last couple of series we have done quite well."

"All these bilaterals are as challenging, they can get as close to the wire as they can. That is the only way we are going to learn and start playing under the pressure of knockouts. The past is past, we don't need to look at that right now. We are hoping for the best things to come."

Friday's match will also see Hardik become the 27th ODI captain of India. "Feeling is very great. Obviously, very honoured. From the journey where it started and to now leading the side in ODIs has filled my chest with a little bit more pride. Looking forward to the new challenge, as many games as possible."

Asked what changes for him as an ODI captain after leading the T20I side for a while, Hardik opined, "It's an extension of the T20 game. In T20 games, you still have to do a lot of changes because of every ball and over changes the game."

"In ODIs, it's more like you continue to do more and have more set plans. It's like you have one set plan and continue to do it for six overs. It's more about controlling that six-over periods, and is a little less fast than T20s."

With India set to play World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval from June 7-11, Hardik, who last played a Test match in 2018, ruled himself out from playing the finale for the global mace.

"No, I am an ethically very strong person. I haven't done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of the 1%. So me coming there and taking someone's place will ethically not go well with me. If I want to play Test cricket, I will go through the grind and earn my spot to come back. Hence, for that reason, I will not be available for the WTC final or future Test series until I feel that I have earned my spot."

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Star boxer Nikhat Zareen kickstarted the defence of her title and India's challenge with an impressive win at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships with a dominating victory while Sakshi Chaudhary and Nupur Sheoran also made winning starts at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex here on Thursday.

The 26-year-old exuberant boxer from Telangana, who clinched 52kg gold in the last edition in Istanbul, began her title defence in style as she took just over four minutes to outclass Anakhanim Ismayilova with the Referee Stops Contest (RSC) verdict in the 50kg opening round contest. The pugilists from Azerbaijan looked clueless against Zareen's strong jabs and quick movement in a thoroughly lopsided bout. The Indian will take on top-seeded Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria in the second round.

Zareen's dominating triumph, in the first bout of the day, provided a befitting start to the prestigious event, which is being hosted by the Boxing Federation of India for the record third time in the country.

Extending the hosts' domination further on the opening day, 2021 Asian Championships bronze medallists Chaudhary and Sheoran also registered emphatic wins with an identical 5-0 margin in their respective matches.

Sakshi dominated Colombian Maria Jose Martinez with supreme technical ability in the 52kg Round-of-32. Sheoran (+81kg), on the other hand, proved too strong for Abiola Jackman of Guyana in the Round-of-16 bout. She will now face Kazakhstan's Urakbayeva Zhazira in the next round whereas debutant Nupur Sheoran will be up against tough Lazzat Kungeibayeva of Kazakhstan, the 2016 World Champion, in the quarterfinals.

FRANCE'S WASSILA CAUSES AN UPSET

Meanwhile, French boxer Lkhadiri Wassila caused a major upset of the day in the 50kg category when she sent the 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Chang Yuan of China packing with a 5-2 win in a thrilling bout after the review.

The ongoing event is witnessing the participation of 324 boxers, including several Olympic medallists, from 65 countries fighting for titles in the 12 weight categories.

Rio Olympics champion Estelle Mossely (60kg) of France is scheduled to begin her campaign on the second day of the tournament on Friday along with some other top boxers, including the five-time World Championships medallist Elif Guneri (75kg) of Turkey, reigning Asian Champion Oh Yeon-Ji (60kg) of South Korea, and former world champions Italy's Alessia Mesiano (60kg) and Lina Wang (81kg) of China.

Among Indians, Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg) and Shruti Yadav (70kg) will fight in the Round-of-32. The tournament has a massive prize pool of INR 20 crore.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar believes five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians will have a point to prove in the 2023 season after last year's performance, where they finished at bottom of the points table.

"They'll have to forget what happened last season, this is a fresh season to believe that they can do it again. They've got the team, they are, you know probably going to miss Jasprit Bumrah, but otherwise, they've got a team that can win the championship once again."

"I see them being in the top two this time around or top three definitely because I think they have a point or two to prove after their last year's performance," he said to Star Sports, the official television broadcaster of IPL 2023.

Gavaskar also sees fast bowler Jofra Archer as a trump card for Mumbai over captain Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Archer has been bowling impressively after his comeback to competitive cricket earlier in the year.

"Jofra Archer, one, definitely. I think Ishan Kishan after his debut for India in one-day cricket getting a double hundred, he will be somebody to watch out for as well. And I think Rohit Sharma will do something really special this season."

"Their biggest strength is obviously going to be Jofra Archer coming back because Jofra Archer is a kind of bowler who can take you wickets at the start and who can bowl the overs, the final couple of overs where he can get the wickets and block the runs as well."

Gavaskar also spoke about his four overseas players for Mumbai, and why he sees big-hitting Australian finisher Tim David as a game-changer.

"The four overseas picks would be the big signing Cameron green. Another big signing, Jofra Archer. Tim David, three. And between the two, depending on form, depending on the opposition, either Tim or Stubbs or Dewald Brevis."

"Tim David is going to be the X-Factor because he is the kind of player who can change the game in a couple of overs. Cameron Green, he's again somebody who will make a big difference with both bat and ball. He might even bat at number three because of the fact that when he's played for Australia, he's opened the batting and he's scored so many runs so quickly."

Gavaskar signed off by saying Mumbai's weakness could be in their spin department. "I think it would be perhaps the spin combination because they've really got a lovely new ball attack. The spin combination looks just a little bit light."

Mumbai will open their IPL 2023 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 2.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) With Royal Challengers Bangalore finally managing to get a win after defeating UP Warriorz in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL), talismanic batter Virat Kohli had given a motivational speech to the Smriti Mandhana-led side ahead of the match, which seems to have worked wonders.

In his speech to the team, who broke their five-game losing streak on Wednesday, Kohli urged the players to be hopeful about making a turnaround in the season, citing his example.

"It's been a challenging season for sure and for someone who's been at RCB for 15 years, I have seen many challenging seasons. I can understand the pressure you guys have been feeling because there are a lot of expectations in big-league teams."

"Unexpected things can happen; unfortunate things can happen. But the reason why I am still there is hope, a 1 per cent chance. Sometimes, it is good enough. What matters is what you think about that 1 per cent chance. Are you ready to give absolutely everything you have for that game (against UP Warriorz), to convert that one per cent into 10, a row that 10 into 30 and eventually something magical might come out of it."

"Even though nothing happens after the remaining three matches, the chance to walk away with your heads held high would be more important than reaching the knockouts of a particular tournament. Sometimes we really think of the results that we want, which is short-term."

"If you can turn this around, then you will have much more confidence, belief and faith. I hope you all embrace this situation with grace, self-belief, integrity and self-esteem. Have respect for yourselves as individuals who have been selected because you are good enough," he said in a video released by the franchise on Thursday.

Kohli also revealed to Smriti & Co that even though he hasn't won the IPL trophy yet, he always remained excited and hungry to bring the trophy to the Bangalore team. "I've been playing IPL for 15 years and I haven't won it yet. But that doesn't stop me from being excited every year."

"That's all I can do. That's the effort I can put into every game and every tournament that I play. If we win, great. If we don't, then I am not going to go to my grave thinking that if only I had won an IPL, I would be a happy man dying."

"It doesn't happen like that. So always think about the opportunity that you have rather than how bad it is right now. There is always a flip side to it, and it could always be worse than this. And the fact that we haven't won the IPL, but I still feel that we have the best fans in the world."

"Only because we were always committed to every game that we played for RCB. That has been the most special thing for our fans. Now when they see us, the smile on their face tells me their belief and commitment to our team. There's no guarantee of giving you a cup every year, but there's a guarantee of giving your 110% every year, and that's all you can strive to do."

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Reigning champion Nikhat Zareen started her campaign at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships with a scintillating Referee Stops Bout (RSC) win over Anakhanim Ismayilova of Azerbaijan in the 50kg category opening round here at K D Jadhav Indoor Hall on Thursday.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist showcased a clear dominance in the ring as the referee had to give a third standing count to Ismayilova in the second round of the bout.

"I am happy that the first day started with India's win. I am very happy to win today's bout. Hopefully, I will continue my winning run in the upcoming matches," Nikhat said after the win.

Nikhat will next face the top seed Alegrian Roumaysa Boualam, who is the 2022 African champion, in the round of 32.

Last year, Nikhat won the gold in the 52kg weight category. But this year, she has shifted to 50kg, which replaced 52kg as an Olympic weight category.

Meanwhile, in the 52kg division, Sakshi outshined Colombia's Jose Maria Martinez by a unanimous decision of 5-0 in the preliminary round.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) After leading Mumbai Indians to a nine-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in WPL 2023 at Brabourne Stadium, off-spin all-rounder Hayley Matthews credited the freedom given by the franchise, which in turn has given her lots of confidence.

Hayley, picked in the acceleration round at her base price in the player auction last month after going unsold in the first round, dismissed Bangalore skipper Smriti Mandhana, Heather Knight and Richa Ghosh to be Mumbai's best bowler with figures of 3-28, before smashing a stunning 77 not out off 38 balls to give her team second big win in a row and top spot in the points table.

"There wasn't much difference, probably I was able to bat a bit longer today, but I think the freedom in this Mumbai Indians team has given me plenty of confidence. They're going well at the moment, and the ball is coming on nicely."

"They (RCB) did put me under pressure in the first over, but yeah, pleased to come back well. We have had so many match-winners in the team and Harman is leading us well," she said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Hayley was also involved in a magnificent 143-run partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt, who smacked 55 not out off 29 balls, for the second wicket.

"Batting track is very good. It's been fun out there. I was trying to hit a little bit. It comes out in the middle (of the bat), so that's fine. I guess we were working pretty well together (in the chase). She (Hayley) shouldn't really hold her back, we were just talking about how to go against the bowlers.

"I guess we were lucky tonight to manage taking wickets regularly to keep them under 200. As bowlers, we try not to be predictable. You need to be one step ahead, it's a bit tricky. We are enjoying, (the two wins) everyone's enjoying each others' success," concluded Nat.

--IANS

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Chattogram, March 6 (IANS) A brilliant all-rounder performance by seasoned Shakib Al Hasan, who claimed his 300th ODI wicket during a haul of 4-35 after hitting 71-ball 75, helped Bangladesh defend a modest 246 for a 50-run win against England here on Monday.

Bangladesh had already lost the series after losing the first two ODIs before salvaging some pride by winning the third match.

The home side may have lost their first ODI series since 2016, but the Asian Tigers must be relieved to have avoided a whitewash in their own den, with Sri Lanka having inflicted the last one in 2014.

Shakib scored 75, hitting seven fours, while wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim contributed 70 and Najmul Hossain Shanto added 53 as Bangladesh were shot out for 246 in 48.5 overs.

Shakib then returned to fox the English batters with his spin bowling, claiming 4-35 as England were bundled out for 196 in 43.1 overs as the hosts won by 50 runs.

It was the fourth time in his career that Shakib made a fifty and took four wickets in ODIs, nudging him ahead of Shahid Afridi and Chris Gayle who had three each. This was also Shakib's tenth four-wicket haul.

Bangladesh recovered from a precarious 17/2 after openers Litton Das (0) and Tamim Iqbal (11) were out to Sam Curren (2-51) with Najmal Hossain Shanto (53) and Mushfiqur Rahim raising 98 runs for the third wicket. But Bangladesh lost both of them to slump to 133/4 before Shakib come to bat and raised 75 runs.

Bangladesh's lower order did not contribute a lot of runs as Sakib struggled for partners before they were all out for 246 in 48.5 overs.

Jofra Archer was the most successful England bowler with 3-35 while Adil Rashid claimed 2-21 in five overs.

In reply, England got off to a decent start with Jason Roy (19) and Phil Salt (35) adding 54 runs for the opening wicket. Dawid Malan was out for a zero and James Vince (3), Sam Curran (23) and skipper Jos Buttler (26) got starts, but they could not raise a big score to help their team chase the target. Chris Woakes contributed 24 runs but in the end it was too little too late as Bangladesh won by 50 runs.

While Shakib claimed 4-35, Taijul Islam (2-52) and Ebadot Hossain (2-38) claimed two wickets apiece as Bangladesh ended the ODI series on a winning note ahead of the three-match T20I series.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh 246 all out in 48.5 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 75, Najmul Hossain Shanto 53, Mushfiqur Rahim 70; Jofra Archer 3-35, Adil Rashid 2-21) beat England 196 all out in 43.1 overs (Phil Salt 35, Chris Woakes 34; Shakib Al Hasan 4-35, Ebadot Hossain 2-38) by 50 runs.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) India's fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya has become the youngest cricketer in the world to reach 25 million followers on Instagram. Interestingly, Hardik has more Instagram followers than some of the global stars like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Max Verstappen and Erling Haaland.

"Thank you to all my fans for the love. Each one of my fans is special to me and I would like to thank them for the love and support they have given me over all these years," said Hardik while expressing his gratitude for his fans for his huge social media following.

Hardik has been a household entity as a cricketer since his international debut in 2016. At 29, he is a senior member in the Indian team's white-ball setup as well as in the IPL. On the cricketing front, Hardik hasn't featured in Tests since 2018 and is not a part of the Indian team currently playing against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

After recovering from a career-threatening back injury, Hardik has been a vital cog in India's limited-overs set-up since June 2022. The big-hitting right-handed batter had captained India in its home T20I series wins over Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year. He will be seen in action next in the ODI series against Australia, which starts on March 17 in Mumbai.

In the ODIs against Australia, Hardik will act as Rohit Sharma's deputy in series and will captain India in the ODI against Mumbai with the latter unavailable due to personal reasons.

After the conclusion of the series, Hardik will captain Gujarat Titans in their IPL title defence in the 2023 season. IPL 2023 starts on March 31 when Hardik-led Gujarat will be facing four-time winners Chennai Super Kings at their home ground, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

--IANS

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